It’s clear the government knew about CFMEU excesses, it just did nothing

June 27, 2026 — 5:00am

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In August 2024, when Danny Pearson was transport infrastructure minister in the Allan government, it emerged that the Metro Tunnel’s builders, Cross Yarra Partnership, needed more funding for the project.

Asked in parliament to shed light on the nature of these disputes, Pearson refused. At a press conference around that time, one of our reporters asked him if a new contract had been signed with the builders, promising them more taxpayer money, as a letter leaked to us suggested. “There are some things I can say. There’s some things I can’t say,” he told us.

Then-opposition leader John Pesutto said the leaked letter highlighted “the total lack of financial transparency surrounding major projects” in Victoria.

We have travelled a long and ugly road since then-treasurer Tim Pallas’ statement in June 2019 that the price of the Metro Tunnel was “fixed” and the consortium of builders would have to bear any additional costs. In 2024, Premier Jacinta Allan told parliament that blowouts were part and parcel of major infrastructure projects.

But not all blowouts are created equal. Unexpected problems with geology beneath the Yarra are one thing; corruption that sees bikie gang members and criminals pocketing millions of dollars in kickbacks are another. To distinguish between the two, Victorians need to see how their money is being........

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